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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. tear — from crying
  5. band — a ring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pound — a weight
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. drill — army training
  23. suit — clothes
  24. tear — to rip

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