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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mate — to breed
  9. court — of a king
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. toast — bread
  12. mate — a partner
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — for sport
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. court — of law
  24. saw — the tool

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