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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a ring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bound — certain
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bulb — for light
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — magic
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — a short time

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