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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — magic
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — letters
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. bound — obliged
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — certain
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. staff — employees
  24. band — a music group

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