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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — of a word
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. band — a music group
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. firm — decided
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. shower — rain
  22. root — the cause
  23. band — a ring
  24. root — of a plant

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