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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bass — low music
  6. band — a ring
  7. hand — in cards
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bank — of a river
  10. perch — the fish
  11. hand — help
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bank — for money
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — a face
  23. cap — a hat
  24. band — a music 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