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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — to recline
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. object — to protest
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. object — an aim
  11. band — a music group
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — a thing
  19. game — a match
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pass — a permit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — wild animals

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