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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — of ice
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cap — a hat
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. last — to go on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. band — a ring
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. cap — a lid
  24. deal — a big deal

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