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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. face — to confront
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. net — for catching
  14. face — part of the head
  15. suit — to fit
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. band — a ring
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — for betting
  23. band — a music group
  24. chip — in a computer

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