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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — happening now
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. band — a music group
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. band — a ring
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. vault — a safe
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. spring — of water
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. craft — boats
  21. board — to get on
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. board — a committee

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