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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — a measure
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. current — of water
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — of the year
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cold — not warm
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cold — an illness
  24. season — in sport

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