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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. band — a ring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — the month
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. season — in sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cap — a lid
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a music group
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. snap — to click
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. season — of the year

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