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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a music group
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rash — a series
  9. file — a tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. file — a document
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ball — a dance
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pound — a weight
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a great time
  24. squash — the sport

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