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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. band — a ring
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — in golf
  10. charge — a price
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — a tin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — to be able to
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. can — a tin
  22. band — a music group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — in control

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