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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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cell — in biology
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — letters
  9. band — a music group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a ring
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. spell — magic
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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