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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: cabinet · bay · tear · band · saw · calf · bound · press

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. press — newspapers
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — a publisher
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — ministers

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