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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. object — a thing
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fall — the season
  6. craft — boats
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a skill
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spring — a coil
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. object — an aim
  15. spring — of water
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. band — a music group
  20. object — to protest
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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