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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. tube — the underground
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. band — a music group
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rush — hurry
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — of the year
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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