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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. band — a ring
  5. rule — a law
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rule — government
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kick — in football
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kick — a thrill

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