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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cap — a hat
  4. shower — rain
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pass — a permit
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. swing — in golf
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cap — a lid
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — a handicraft

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