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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. band — a ring
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pop — soda
  11. band — a music group
  12. pop — to visit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — music
  18. tear — to rip
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tear — from crying

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