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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — humankind
  6. rock — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. race — a contest
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lie — to recline
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — all right
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. race — the arms race
  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