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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fork — in a road
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — hurry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. band — a rubber band

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