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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. pop — music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. band — a ring
  6. tear — to rip
  7. last — final
  8. rock — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — a trace
  18. band — a music group
  19. last — finally
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — to go on
  22. pop — soda
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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