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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chest — a box
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. band — a ring
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. straw — a straw man

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