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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. present — a gift
  5. suit — clothes
  6. band — a music group
  7. present — there
  8. ball — a dance
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — the time now
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — a country
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a ring
  23. land — to come down
  24. ball — a great time

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