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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 124 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chest — a box
  3. band — a music group
  4. suit — to fit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — a break
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rest — what's left
  11. club — for golf
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. suit — in cards
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. band — a ring
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. swing — to play on

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