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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lie — to recline
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. suit — to fit
  15. season — of the year
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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