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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. toast — bread
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bound — obliged
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bound — tied together
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. band — a ring
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. plane — a tool
  24. band — a music group

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