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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wound — an injury
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — a division
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — of a bank

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