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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stand — to bear
  6. file — a line of people
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — clothes
  9. track — to keep track
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. file — a tool
  12. lie — to recline
  13. track — a song
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. suit — to fit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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