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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. band — a ring
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — hasty
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rash — a series
  20. kid — child
  21. date — the fruit
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rest — a break

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