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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. suit — clothes
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. band — a ring
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — in cards
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spring — the season
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. band — a music group
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spring — a coil
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spring — of water
  24. jam — a tight spot

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