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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — music
  12. band — a music group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — to paddle
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — to play on
  18. row — a line
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mug — a face
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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