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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a music group
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — letters
  15. band — a ring
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the fish
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bass — low 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