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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — part of the head
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a music group
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — to confront
  10. mug — to rob
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bound — certain
  24. ruler — for measuring

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