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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. band — a ring
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. present — there
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. present — a gift
  9. land — to come down
  10. present — the time now
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — to be able to
  13. staff — a stick
  14. band — a music group
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — a stone
  18. staff — employees
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a line
  21. can — a tin
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rock — music
  24. land — a country

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