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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. club — a group
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. band — a ring
  6. club — for golf
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pitch — a sports field

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