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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: mug · stick · sharp · land · band · rock · wake · deal

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a ring
  3. land — a country
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. land — to come down
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — to handle
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. sharp — clever
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — to rob
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — music
  20. land — ground
  21. band — a music group
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a face
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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