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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a music group
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a ring
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — for catching
  23. season — in sport
  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