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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — obliged
  3. band — a music group
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. suit — in cards
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tube — the underground
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bound — certain
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. tube — a container
  24. season — of the year

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