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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. charge — electricity
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. band — a ring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. charge — a price
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — to visit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cabinet — ministers

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