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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: bay · band · calf · coach · content · mate · current · straw

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — happy
  6. current — of water
  7. mate — to breed
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — electric
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. content — the amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — happening now
  19. mate — a friend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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