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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a ring
  8. last — to go on
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pop — to visit
  19. last — final
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rush — hurry
  22. last — finally
  23. bound — obliged
  24. band — a music group

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