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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. last — finally
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. charge — in control
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a music group
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. band — a ring
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mine — for digging
  24. season — in sport

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