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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fine — all right
  10. root — of a word
  11. band — a music group
  12. tear — from crying
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. root — the cause
  16. band — a ring
  17. fine — high quality
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — electric
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. root — of a plant

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