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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — for golf
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. board — to get on
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a music group
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — a group
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spring — the season

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