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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lean — to bend
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mate — a friend
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cabinet — ministers

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