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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pop — soda
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. band — a music group
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — music

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