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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — to be able to
  4. band — a ring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — of a king
  12. ground — crushed
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. band — a music group
  18. craft — boats
  19. lean — thin
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. ground — a position
  23. court — for sport
  24. lean — to bend

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