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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — music
  3. band — a music group
  4. kid — child
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. can — to be able to
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. band — a ring
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. band — a rubber band

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