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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. key — for a lock
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. key — the most important part
  12. lean — to bend
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — hurry
  18. band — a ring
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. key — in music

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