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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bound — obliged
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — of ice
  16. toast — bread
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bound — tied together
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cap — a hat

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