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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rest — a break
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — obliged
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rock — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. roll — a list
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — certain
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. band — a music group

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