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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a song
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. track — to keep track
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. band — a ring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — a path
  18. squash — the sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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