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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. band — a music group
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hand — help
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — a weight

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