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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. saw — the tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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