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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. season — in sport
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. band — a ring
  7. spring — of water
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. band — a music group
  10. content — the amount
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — a coil
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spring — the season
  22. content — happy
  23. mine — for digging
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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