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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — the cause
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. cell — in biology
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a music group
  16. present — a gift
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. root — of a plant
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — a phone

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