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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a ring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — to trim

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