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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — employees
  9. spell — magic
  10. staff — a stick
  11. roll — a cake
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — of the year
  19. rule — government
  20. season — in sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. band — a ring
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rule — a law

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