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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. club — for golf
  8. rest — a break
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a document
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. file — a tool
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. club — a group

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