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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — to rob
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pound — a weight
  7. key — for a lock
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — hurry
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. band — a ring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — the most important part
  21. face — to point toward
  22. key — in music
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — to hit hard

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