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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: ruler · hand · pop · rash · bay · band · spring · saw

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. pop — to visit
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. hand — help
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spring — the season
  21. band — a ring
  22. hand — in cards
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — of water

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