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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hand — help
  20. band — a ring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. leaves — of a tree

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