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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cap — a hat
  9. band — a music group
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — crushed
  16. band — a ring
  17. bore — to tire
  18. object — a thing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — the animal

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