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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a music group
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rest — a break
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — size or range
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. patient — a sick person

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