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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. band — a music group
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitch — completely
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. band — a ring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lean — thin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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