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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a music group
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chest — a box
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mine — for digging

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