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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. current — electric
  5. cap — a lid
  6. current — happening now
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — of water
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. cap — of ice
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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