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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — magic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rest — a break
  16. band — a ring
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. face — part of the head
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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