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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spring — the season
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bound — certain
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spring — of water
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — tied together
  24. band — a rubber band

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