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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. row — a line
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rush — hurry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lie — to recline
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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