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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. row — a line
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. band — a music group
  6. content — the amount
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. content — happy
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. firm — steady
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — decided
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. firm — a company
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lash — to lash out

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