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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. club — for golf
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a ring
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a music group
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. craft — boats
  24. pitch — completely

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