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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a lid
  10. object — to protest
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bore — to tire
  13. object — an aim
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mate — to breed
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — a thing
  22. band — a ring
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. dip — a sauce

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