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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bass — low music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. band — a music group
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — magic
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — for betting
  23. lean — thin
  24. bass — the instrument

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