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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fine — all right
  3. spring — the season
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. degree — an amount
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — in control
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spring — of water
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. charge — a price
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — electricity

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