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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rock — a stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rock — music
  24. coach — a trainer

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