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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kick — in football
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — to sink
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — for digging
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. sharp — clever

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