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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: straw · bore · last · band · ball · rash · leaves · bulb

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bore — to drill
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a ring
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. last — to go on
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. last — final
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — a series
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — finally
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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