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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: roll · sharp · degree · foot · rock · face · band · can

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — a measure
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. degree — from a university
  13. can — a tin
  14. face — to point toward
  15. degree — an amount
  16. roll — a list
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a music group
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — a stone

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