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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a committee
  4. cell — in biology
  5. suit — clothes
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — to get on
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. band — a ring
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. suit — to fit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cell — in a prison

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