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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — a hint
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a hole
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spring — a coil
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. band — a ring
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. lie — to recline

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