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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. band — a ring
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ground — the earth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — a position
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a music group
  11. mark — a grade
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bore — to tire
  15. squash — the sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. lie — to recline
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. squash — the vegetable

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