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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — an amount
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rush — hurry
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a music group
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rush — to hurry

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