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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lean — thin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a ring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to rest against

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