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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — in a race
  6. net — after costs
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — in sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tube — the underground
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. tube — a container
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fall — the season
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bound — certain
  22. pop — music
  23. net — for catching
  24. nail — on a finger

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