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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — an aim
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — to play on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — in golf
  18. object — to protest
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

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