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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. spell — letters
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pop — soda
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pop — music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. band — a ring
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. face — to point toward
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a music group
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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