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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cold — not warm
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a ring
  8. mate — a friend
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — for a lock
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — in music
  17. board — a committee
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — music
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cold — the Cold War

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