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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a music group
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. can — to be able to
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — for sport
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — farmland
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a ring
  23. field — a subject
  24. can — a tin

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