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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. band — a music group
  3. pop — soda
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a ring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a face
  19. spell — magic
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a rubber band

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