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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. root — of a plant
  3. file — a tool
  4. land — to come down
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. band — a music group
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. land — a country
  13. file — a document
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. root — of a word
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. suit — to fit
  20. root — the cause
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. file — a line of people
  24. land — ground

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