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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a music group
  7. mark — a grade
  8. land — to come down
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. band — a ring
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — ground
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. mark — a trace
  23. last — final
  24. pitcher — a jug

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