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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — to be able to
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a ring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hand — help
  13. sharp — clever
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. can — a tin
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. stand — on your feet

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