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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a ring
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. tube — a container
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to confront

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