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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. chip — for betting
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — to play on
  6. drill — army training
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — music
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. band — a music group
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. band — a ring
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. drill — the tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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