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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — to bend
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — employees
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — a stick
  12. field — for sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a music group
  16. field — farmland
  17. plane — a tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. prune — to trim
  20. field — a subject
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lean — thin

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