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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: season · leaves · straw · mark · pop · band · drill · mug

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pop — to visit
  3. band — a ring
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pop — soda
  12. mug — a face
  13. season — of the year
  14. drill — army training
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — a grade
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. drill — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — a cup

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