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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a ring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mug — to rob
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. band — a music group
  16. mug — a face
  17. toast — bread
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. board — a committee
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. toast — the most admired

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