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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. charge — a price
  9. lie — to recline
  10. charge — electricity
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — to eat with

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