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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. row — to paddle
  3. last — final
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. last — finally
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spring — of water
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — a coil
  17. band — a ring
  18. spring — the season
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a music group
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — moving air

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