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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. can — to be able to
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. band — a music group
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. can — a tin
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. band — a ring
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cap — of ice
  24. coach — a trainer

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