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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tube — a container
  4. current — electric
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. toast — bread
  8. fall — the season
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. current — of water
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. band — a ring
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. current — happening now
  22. band — a music group
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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