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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cap — a lid
  3. row — to paddle
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. band — a ring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. present — there
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cap — of ice
  13. present — the time now
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. band — a music group
  24. row — a line

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