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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. band — a music group
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stock — goods
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — government
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. plane — in geometry
  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