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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. season — in sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a ring
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. season — of the year
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a music group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. suit — in cards
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — clothes

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