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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. charge — electricity
  5. snap — to click
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bear — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. track — a song
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. charge — in control
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — a price

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