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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. band — a ring
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — to paddle
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. ground — a position
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. band — a music group
  24. pass — a permit

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