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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. shower — rain
  3. suit — clothes
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. band — a ring
  7. vault — a safe
  8. suit — to fit
  9. shower — to wash
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. sharp — clever
  12. toast — bread
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. suit — in cards
  17. drill — the tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. drill — a practice
  20. band — a music group
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. drill — army training

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