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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. last — final
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. last — finally
  6. stem — to come from
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rock — music
  12. firm — a company
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a music group
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — steady
  21. last — to go on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. firm — decided
  24. stem — of a plant

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