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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a music group
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rush — a thrill

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