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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. current — of water
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — of ice
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a music group
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. current — electric
  22. band — a ring
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cap — a lid

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