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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. swing — to play on
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. band — a ring
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lie — to recline
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — a hole
  11. net — after costs
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — in a race
  17. band — a music group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. bore — to tire
  21. key — the most important part
  22. shower — rain
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. net — in sport

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