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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · stick · mate · roll · band · row · calf · bay

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — electric
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a friend
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com