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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — a group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — soda
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — the season
  9. club — for golf
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. file — a line of people
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. band — a ring
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spring — of water
  22. pop — to visit
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a music group

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