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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.

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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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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: pop · bay · tear · band · straw · object · ruler · capital

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a ring
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tear — to rip
  12. object — to protest
  13. capital — a city
  14. pop — soda
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. capital — money
  24. band — a music group

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