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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bore — to drill
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spring — the season
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — a coil
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bore — to tire
  22. can — to be able to
  23. band — a music group
  24. vault — a safe

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