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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. 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. kick — in football
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitch — completely
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. band — a ring
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. 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