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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pop — soda
  7. fork — in a road
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rock — a stone
  13. band — a ring
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rock — music
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. cabinet — ministers

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