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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. row — to paddle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. swing — music
  6. root — the cause
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a music group
  11. swing — to play on
  12. root — of a word
  13. row — a line
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bear — the animal

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