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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. lean — thin
  14. object — to protest
  15. kid — child
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — after costs
  24. kid — to tease

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