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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. can — a tin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. tear — to rip
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bass — low music
  20. band — a music group
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. band — a ring

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