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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — final
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. last — to go on
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. last — finally
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. board — to get on
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. shower — rain

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