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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chair — a leader
  15. swing — to play on
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. swing — in golf
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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