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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a music group
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kid — to tease
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kid — child
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. present — a gift
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. firm — a company
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — there
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — music
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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