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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. track — a path
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. band — a music group
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — to get on
  17. band — a ring
  18. board — a committee
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. track — a song
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. object — a thing

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