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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — thin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — for golf
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a ring
  14. bass — low music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. object — to protest
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rule — government
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — for digging
  22. band — a music group
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — an aim

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