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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a ring
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. rock — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. face — to point toward
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pop — soda
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — music

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