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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — ground
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — to come down
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. band — a ring
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. object — a thing
  24. prune — the fruit

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