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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fine — high quality
  6. object — to protest
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mug — a cup
  9. band — a music group
  10. row — a line
  11. band — a ring
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a face
  15. object — an aim
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — to rob
  19. object — a thing
  20. bat — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spell — magic
  24. band — a rubber band

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