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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wake — a trail
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. wind — moving air
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a music group
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — moving air
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — all right
  22. band — a ring
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a flat piece

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