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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. face — to point toward
  3. current — happening now
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — completely
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — in music
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — of water
  17. kick — in football
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spring — a coil
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — the season

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