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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cap — a lid
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a word
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — all right
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. root — the cause
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — a container
  24. band — a ring

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