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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. scale — in music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — size or range
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ball — a great time

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