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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hand — in cards
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — a break
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — to visit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — magic
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — letters
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. band — a music group
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rash — hasty
  22. pop — soda
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — a tin

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