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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. swing — in golf
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cell — a phone
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — a song
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. plane — a tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. swing — to play on
  23. band — a music group
  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