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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spring — of water
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. current — happening now
  8. kid — to tease
  9. band — a ring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spring — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. kid — child
  15. rock — a stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. current — of water
  24. rock — music

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