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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a music group
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. suit — in cards
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rest — a break
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — clothes
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. clip — a video
  17. band — a ring
  18. object — to protest
  19. lie — to recline
  20. clip — to cut
  21. object — an aim
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — in a tire

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