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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. band — a ring
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. drill — army training
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — clever

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