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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. band — a ring
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for golf
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — for dancing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — help
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. club — a group
  24. band — a music group

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