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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 124 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — letters
  4. present — there
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. present — a gift
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bank — of a river
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — the time now
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — for money
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a music group
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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