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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. band — a ring
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — to recline
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. charge — a price
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — of the year
  14. charge — in control
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. band — a music group
  24. racket — for tennis

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