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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. current — happening now
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — help
  8. band — a ring
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — of water
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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