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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitcher — a jug

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