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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wound — an injury
  4. band — a ring
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — to recline
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wound — an injury
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — happening now
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. current — electric
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — a hole
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a music group

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