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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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. wave — a sudden rise
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. band — a ring
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chest — a box
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. toast — bread
  16. object — to protest
  17. chest — of your body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — moving air
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. object — an aim

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