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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — the underground
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. tube — a container
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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