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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. degree — temperature
  18. band — a ring
  19. degree — from a university
  20. kid — child
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — hurry
  23. band — a music group
  24. kid — to tease

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