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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — final
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — magic
  11. last — to go on
  12. lie — to recline
  13. band — a music group
  14. spell — letters
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a ring
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. rule — a law
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rule — government

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