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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — certain
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — employees
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. rule — government
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. staff — a stick
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. band — a music group
  22. rule — a law
  23. band — a ring
  24. object — to protest

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