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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bore — to drill
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — happening now
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fall — the season
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. band — a ring
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mark — a grade
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — of water

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