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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. board — to get on
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — to recline
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — for catching
  12. swing — to play on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. swing — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — in golf
  20. net — after costs
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a ring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bulb — for light

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