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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a face
  10. band — a ring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a music group
  22. bat — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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