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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rock — a stone
  5. band — a music group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chair — a leader
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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