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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. band — a music group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — in music
  10. rule — government
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bank — for money
  14. band — a ring
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — a law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — of a river
  24. can — to be able to

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