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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — hasty
  5. object — a thing
  6. rash — a series
  7. band — a music group
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. object — an aim
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. band — a ring
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — to protest
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. saw — the tool

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