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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mine — for digging
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. band — a rubber band

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