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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. band — a music group
  2. mug — a face
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cap — a lid
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — a contest
  8. lie — to recline
  9. present — there
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — a gift
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a ring
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pass — a permit
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. race — humankind
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. present — the time now
  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