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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a ring
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — a break
  7. roll — a list
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — the season
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spring — of water
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. swing — to play on
  19. band — a music group
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. swing — music
  22. pass — a permit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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