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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stock — shares
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. band — a ring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — electric
  14. band — a music group
  15. swing — to play on
  16. current — of water
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stock — goods
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. current — happening now
  22. lean — thin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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