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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. root — of a word
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chest — of your body
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — a stone
  19. root — the cause
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. root — of a plant
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. dip — to dunk

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