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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: content · band · object · sharp · kid · lean · rock · race

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — the amount
  10. lean — thin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. kid — child
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. race — a contest
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — to protest
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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