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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a music group
  4. ball — a dance
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wake — a trail
  13. tear — to rip
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fall — the season
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a great time

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