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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — letters
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kick — in football
  11. cap — of ice
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spell — a short time
  17. face — to point toward
  18. band — a music group
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — magic
  23. face — part of the head
  24. jam — in traffic

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