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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. saw — the tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. fine — all right
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a ring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. hand — help
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. face — to point toward
  23. band — a music group
  24. bowl — a football final

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