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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. club — for golf
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — the time now
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. club — a group
  8. band — a ring
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. present — there
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. present — a gift
  13. club — for dancing
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. band — a music group
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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