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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a ring
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rush — hurry
  18. content — happy
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. band — a music group
  23. chip — for betting
  24. deal — an agreement

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