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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. roll — a list
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. row — to paddle
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. roll — a cake
  13. band — a ring
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. row — a line
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. degree — an amount
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. jam — in traffic

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