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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lie — to recline
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. band — a music group
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — for dancing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. club — for golf
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. club — a group
  24. perch — for a bird

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