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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: rest · rush · mug · craft · band · content · land · object

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a music group
  4. land — a country
  5. object — an aim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. content — happy
  11. object — to protest
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a ring
  15. object — a thing
  16. mug — a face
  17. craft — boats
  18. land — to come down
  19. rest — a break
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. craft — a skill
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rest — what's left
  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