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

Word bank: band · bay · mark · rash · pound · wind · staff · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. band — a music group
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a ring
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pound — a weight
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a grade

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