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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — of the year
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kick — in football
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. band — a music group
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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