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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cap — of ice
  7. squash — to crush
  8. net — in sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a ring
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — after costs
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cap — a hat
  24. band — a rubber band

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