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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 120 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: stick · arm · spring · band · pitcher · temple · drill · bay

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — the season
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spring — a coil
  9. drill — army training
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spring — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — a practice
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. drill — the tool

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