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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spring — of water
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. mug — a face
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rash — a series
  15. march — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — the month
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. march — the month
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a ring

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