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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: plane · band · pop · wake · cap · rock · mug · present

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. present — the time now
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pop — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a music group
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. present — there
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rock — music

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