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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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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: rest · face · dip · bowl · stem · band · bore · cap

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a hat
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. band — a music group
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rest — a break
  21. dip — to sink
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — gave birth

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