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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. wind — moving air
  8. firm — decided
  9. wax — to grow
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. band — a ring
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. band — a music group
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. firm — a company
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — to put up with

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