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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — certain
  10. rock — music
  11. bound — obliged
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cell — in biology
  17. file — a line of people
  18. roll — a list
  19. cell — a phone
  20. roll — a cake
  21. shower — to wash
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. band — a ring

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