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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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lie — to recline
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — in football
  6. band — a music group
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — employees
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a ring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. branch — a division
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — with your hand

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