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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fall — the season
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. net — for catching
  6. race — humankind
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. firm — steady
  9. net — in sport
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — decided
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a friend
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fall — to drop
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — a company
  22. net — after costs
  23. mate — a partner
  24. sharp — clever

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