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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — a weight
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tube — a container
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — a lid
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. staff — employees
  24. sharp — exactly

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