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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. band — a music group
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wind — moving air
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — in sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rash — a series
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. net — for catching
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. net — after costs

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