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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — in sport
  4. content — the amount
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. squash — to crush
  9. suit — clothes
  10. season — of the year
  11. band — a music group
  12. can — to be able to
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. content — happy
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. squash — the sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. can — a tin

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