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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a ring
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — rain
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. coach — a trainer

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