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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — for digging
  9. charge — a price
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. band — a ring
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mug — a cup
  16. firm — steady
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. band — a music group
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. drill — army training
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — decided

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