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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. root — of a plant
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a ring
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. trunk — of a tree

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