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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. band — a ring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rock — music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. snap — to click
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mate — to breed
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stem — to come from
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — a friend

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