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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pop — soda
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — magic
  6. band — a ring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. band — a music group
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spell — letters

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