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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. can — to be able to
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. snap — to click
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — to come from
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pop — to visit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — soda
  20. ground — a position
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. band — a music group
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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