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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cap — of ice
  12. spell — magic
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cap — a hat
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitcher — a jug

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