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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stock — goods
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — to recline
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. tear — from crying
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. band — a music group
  13. stock — shares
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — to rip
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. band — a ring
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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