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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 120 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: chip · hide · band · calf · season · trunk · rest · fine

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. season — of the year
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fine — all right
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hide — to keep secret

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