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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — soda
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pop — to visit

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