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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 116 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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spell — letters
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. band — a ring
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — after costs
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a music group

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