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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · chip · nail · pitcher · band · safe · wave · cap

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — help
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. band — a ring
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. band — a music group

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