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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. content — happy
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. firm — a company
  8. mark — a trace
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. firm — decided
  12. suit — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mark — a grade
  17. content — the amount
  18. suit — to fit
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. track — a song
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mark — to pay attention

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