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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 ________________ to happen.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. band — a ring
  3. file — a document
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rest — a break
  8. stock — goods
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rock — a stone
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bound — tied together
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. band — a music group
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rock — to move gently

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