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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — a division
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bore — to drill
  7. tube — the underground
  8. firm — decided
  9. band — a ring
  10. firm — a company
  11. race — the arms race
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. race — humankind
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — to tire
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to confront
  24. bore — gave birth

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