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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mate — a friend
  18. band — a music group
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cue — a hint

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