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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — a break
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. stem — to come from
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — certain
  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