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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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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: dip · rule · rush · pound · can · fine · band · tear

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. band — a music group
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — government
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rush — hurry
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pound — a weight

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