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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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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. band — a ring
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bulb — of a plant

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