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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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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. band — a ring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. band — a music group
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — an agreement

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