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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. band — a music group
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a ring
  5. suit — to fit
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — a measure
  9. squash — the sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — to crush
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — certain
  20. spring — a coil
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — in cards
  24. branch — of a bank

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