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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a music group
  7. face — part of the head
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lean — to bend
  10. deal — to handle
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — child
  17. object — an aim
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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