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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — there
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — obliged
  11. band — a music group
  12. lie — to recline
  13. present — the time now
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — certain
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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