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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rest — a break
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. object — an aim
  11. tube — a container
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a ring
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. object — a thing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rest — what's left
  18. tube — the underground
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — to protest
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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