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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. vault — a safe
  10. degree — temperature
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bound — certain
  13. spring — of water
  14. pitch — completely
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spring — a coil
  19. degree — an amount
  20. band — a ring
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. band — a music group
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spring — the season

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