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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bound — obliged
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — to sink
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — in control
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. charge — electricity
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. roll — a list
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — certain
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. charge — a price

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