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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — a position
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. file — a document
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a path
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. track — to keep track

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