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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. march — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a ring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — to recline
  13. march — the month
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. object — to protest
  24. cabinet — ministers

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