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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lean — thin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a hole
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. band — a music group
  24. safe — out of danger

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