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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. band — a music group
  8. club — a group
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. club — for golf
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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