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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — there
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — a gift
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a ring
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. present — the time now
  23. mug — a cup
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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