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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bear — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. object — an aim
  12. spring — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. object — a thing
  15. rock — a stone
  16. band — a music group
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. object — to protest
  24. mark — a grade

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