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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. band — a music group
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — thin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. band — a ring
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bark — to shout

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