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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: can · bore · wound · foot · stick · band · rush · rest

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to tire
  11. band — a music group
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — to drill
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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