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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — to come down
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. band — a ring
  5. land — ground
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. track — a song
  11. board — a committee
  12. tube — a container
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. band — a music group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — to get on
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. land — a country
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. track — a path
  24. lie — to recline

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