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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hand — help
  3. scale — size or range
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. band — a ring
  9. spring — the season
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. band — a music group
  14. spring — of water
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  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