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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. land — a country
  3. band — a music group
  4. land — ground
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. band — a ring
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. staff — employees
  16. land — to come down
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. staff — a stick

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