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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · bowl · leaves · rush · ruler · pass · content · band

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. pass — a permit
  3. band — a music group
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. content — happy
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. content — the amount
  24. rush — hurry

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