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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for golf
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — to recline
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — a group
  12. band — a music group
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — steady
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fork — a garden tool

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