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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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. dip — a sauce
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. object — an aim
  12. face — to confront
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. face — part of the head
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. face — to point toward
  24. dip — to sink

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