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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. band — a ring
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — low music
  10. current — happening now
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cell — in biology
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bass — the fish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — electric
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — in a prison

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