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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rest — a break
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — help
  12. band — a music group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lean — thin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. band — a ring
  24. rest — what's left

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