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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — a short time
  3. band — a ring
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spell — magic
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — music
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. content — happy
  18. mark — a trace
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. content — the amount
  22. spell — letters
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pop — soda

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