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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lean — thin
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. spell — letters
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a music group
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — to be able to

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