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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a ring
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chest — a box
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pit — a hole
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fall — to drop

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