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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. degree — temperature
  3. spell — letters
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mate — a friend
  8. band — a ring
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — from a university
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mate — to breed
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — a trace
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — a trainer

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