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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. face — part of the head
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — a price
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. swing — music
  18. face — to confront
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. face — to point toward

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