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

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — a cup
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. row — to paddle
  11. dip — to sink
  12. mug — to rob
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. mug — a face
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. leaves — lets stay

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