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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. game — wild animals
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a ring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a match
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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