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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a music group
  11. game — a match
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. season — of the year
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rest — a break
  21. fine — high quality
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a ring

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