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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. can — a tin
  6. file — a line of people
  7. current — happening now
  8. bank — for money
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. band — a music group
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — to recline
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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