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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. net — after costs
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. track — a path
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. band — a ring
  20. lean — thin
  21. deal — to handle
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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