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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 a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — a practice
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — a skill
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — there
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — in sport
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — the tool
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. tube — the underground

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