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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. lie — to recline
  3. present — the time now
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. band — a music group
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ground — crushed
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — a position
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wax — to grow
  18. band — a ring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lash — an eyelash

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