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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 116 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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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: calf · ruler · chair · band · plane · rock · wake · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. band — a music group
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — a trail
  16. band — a ring
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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