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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ground — crushed
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — the earth
  9. band — a ring
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ground — a position
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — in cards
  23. band — a music group
  24. squash — the sport

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