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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. file — a document
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. dip — to sink
  6. face — to point toward
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. face — to confront
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a ring
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spell — letters
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — in a road
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. band — a music group
  23. spell — a short time
  24. file — a tool

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