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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. band — a music group
  8. rest — what's left
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — a break
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — certain
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tear — from crying
  24. temple — a place of worship

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