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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. suit — clothes
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — a practice
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mine — for digging
  18. track — a song
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — certain
  23. band — a music group
  24. suit — to fit

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