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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cell — in biology
  4. kick — in football
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. band — a music group
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. ground — a position
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a ring

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