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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. dip — to sink
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — hasty
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — a tool
  19. capital — money
  20. band — a music group
  21. mate — a friend
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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