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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. charge — a price
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — the earth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ground — a position
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hand — help
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. charge — in control
  19. band — a music group
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. ground — crushed
  22. band — a ring
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pound — for dogs

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