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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rest — a break
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — gave birth

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