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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. key — for a lock
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. key — in music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. band — a music group
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. band — a ring
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mine — an explosive

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