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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. stand — to bear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — army training
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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