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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a music group
  7. roll — a list
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — to crush
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — for catching
  16. hand — help
  17. net — after costs
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. band — a ring
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bowl — a dish

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