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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. march — the month
  14. firm — steady
  15. kick — in football
  16. march — the month
  17. band — a music group
  18. march — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mate — a partner
  23. band — a ring
  24. wake — a trail

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