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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · bear · band · straw · rash · dip

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. band — a music group
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — a series
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a ring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cue — a signal
  18. straw — a straw man

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