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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.

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: wound · coach · foot · perch · pop · ruler · band · rash

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a ring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pop — music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — soda
  24. rash — a series

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