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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 120 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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bass — low music
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — to recline
  14. can — to be able to
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. lean — thin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to bend
  24. foot — a measure

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