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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: snap · last · can · mark · land · object · cap · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mark — a grade
  9. last — finally
  10. band — a ring
  11. snap — to click
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a hat
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — to be able to
  18. last — to go on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. land — ground
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — final

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