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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mine — for digging
  4. suit — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. firm — steady
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lie — to recline
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — clothes
  21. firm — a company
  22. band — a ring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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