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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. chest — a box
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chest — of your body
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. staff — employees
  14. rock — a stone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. capital — money

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