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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hand — help
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mug — a cup
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mug — to rob
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a music group
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. band — a ring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. scale — in music

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