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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bank — of a river
  4. squash — to crush
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — for money
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bank — for money
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — the sport
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — hasty
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. band — a ring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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