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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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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — a thing
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. object — an aim
  6. chest — a box
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. object — to protest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a music group
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rash — a series

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