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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. present — the time now
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — there
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. foot — a measure
  16. staff — employees
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — a gift
  20. staff — a stick
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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