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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: ruler · wake · mark · band · pound · rest · chest · rock

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mark — a trace
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — a box
  13. band — a ring
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pound — a weight
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mark — a grade
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rest — a break

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