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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 116 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cap — a hat
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. band — a music group
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. current — electric
  17. bark — to shout
  18. band — a ring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. sharp — with an edge

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