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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a music group
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lie — to recline
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — in sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. band — a ring
  24. fine — all right

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