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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kick — in football
  14. mug — a face
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. band — a ring
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. band — a music group

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