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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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. shower — to wash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. shower — rain
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bound — certain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a music group

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