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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. band — a ring
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — a gift
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lie — to recline

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