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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — of ice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — there
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. present — a gift
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. band — a ring
  12. bass — low music
  13. object — a thing
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a hat
  16. object — to protest
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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