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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a ring
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mark — a trace
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lie — to recline
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kid — child

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