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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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. toast — bread
  4. hand — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — to keep track
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. drill — army training
  10. hand — help
  11. sharp — clever
  12. track — a path
  13. band — a ring
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. drill — the tool
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. band — a music group
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — a song

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