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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — to handle
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — crushed
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. track — a song
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ground — a position
  17. row — a line
  18. row — to paddle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. band — a ring
  23. ground — the earth
  24. row — a quarrel

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