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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. drill — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. lie — to recline
  10. land — to come down
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. drill — a practice
  13. land — ground
  14. swing — to play on
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bark — to shout
  20. suit — in cards
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. land — a country
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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