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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. spell — letters
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a dance
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pound — a weight
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ball — a great time
  17. squash — the sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spell — a short time

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