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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. can — to be able to
  3. present — there
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. root — of a word
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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