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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — to come down
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a song
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wax — to grow
  10. land — ground
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. track — a path
  16. land — a country
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lie — to recline
  21. chip — for betting
  22. deal — to handle
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — in the ear

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