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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a music group
  9. staff — employees
  10. wake — a trail
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. craft — boats
  22. mine — for digging
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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