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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. tube — a container
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. content — the amount
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a music group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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