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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a path
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bank — of a river
  11. band — a music group
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — a song
  18. band — a ring
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. toast — bread
  23. bank — for money
  24. band — a rubber band

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