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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. craft — boats
  12. net — for catching
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mate — to breed

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