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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: band · mug · spring · deal · arm · tube · stick · craft

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. spring — a coil
  3. tube — a container
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a skill
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spring — of water
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — to handle
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. craft — boats
  16. band — a music group
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spring — the season
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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