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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — a line
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kid — child
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. squash — to crush
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. band — a music group
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. track — a song
  18. squash — the sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. row — to paddle
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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