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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. firm — a company
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. firm — steady
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. firm — decided
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. shower — rain
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a ring
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — a friend

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