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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. suit — to fit
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. saw — the tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — clothes
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. sharp — clever
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. last — to go on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — finally
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. last — final

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