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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — to recline
  7. suit — clothes
  8. band — a music group
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. band — a ring
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. suit — to fit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — in cards
  23. row — to paddle
  24. prune — to trim

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