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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rock — music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cap — a lid
  21. hand — help
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bowl — a dish
  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