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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — a lid
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fall — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — the amount
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — music
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cap — a hat

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