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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. object — an aim
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — after costs
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. object — a thing
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — to protest
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lean — to rest against

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