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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wake — a trail
  14. band — a ring
  15. row — a line
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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