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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 124 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a music group
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. band — a ring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bass — low music
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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