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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 116 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stock — shares
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — boats
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stock — goods
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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