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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — letters
  6. lie — to recline
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. current — of water
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. rush — hurry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the fish

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