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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fall — to drop
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — tied together
  7. board — a committee
  8. bound — obliged
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fall — the season
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. band — a music group

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