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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bound — certain
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. firm — decided
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — obliged
  15. firm — steady
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tear — to rip
  18. firm — a company
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. band — a ring
  24. rock — music

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