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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — to fit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tube — the underground
  15. band — a music group
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — the season
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — bread
  24. fall — to drop

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