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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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 dunk
  3. race — humankind
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a ring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — a safe
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rock — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rash — a series
  22. race — a contest
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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