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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. firm — steady
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bound — obliged
  20. band — a ring
  21. bound — tied together
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a grade
  24. firm — decided

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