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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. roll — a list
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — in a road
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a ring
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. band — a music group

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