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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. band — a ring
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. roll — a list
  16. mug — a cup
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mug — to rob
  24. lie — an untruth

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