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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. vault — a safe
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wind — moving air
  8. band — a ring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. root — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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