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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — moving air
  5. band — a ring
  6. fall — the season
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a music group
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lean — to bend
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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