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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spring — of water
  3. band — a music group
  4. race — humankind
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — to keep track
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. band — a ring
  10. track — a path
  11. lie — to recline
  12. track — a song
  13. race — the arms race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. race — a contest
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth

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