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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. march — the month
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a signal
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. last — final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a music group

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