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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a ring
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — happy
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. content — the amount

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