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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — part of the head
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — a group
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. branch — a division
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. rock — a stone
  22. club — for golf
  23. band — a music group
  24. branch — of a bank

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