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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 120 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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — goods
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cold — an illness
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — to fit

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