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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. content — happy
  3. charge — a price
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. drill — a practice
  8. band — a ring
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a music group
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. drill — army training
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — the amount
  19. fine — all right
  20. bass — low music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bass — the fish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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