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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. mark — a grade
  7. squash — to crush
  8. object — an aim
  9. band — a music group
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. craft — a skill
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. squash — the sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — boats
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. craft — a handicraft

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