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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. band — a ring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. squash — to crush
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — a series
  14. band — a music group
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — hasty

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