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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a music group
  7. season — in sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. season — of the year
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bound — certain
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitch — completely

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