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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. suit — to fit
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cold — an illness
  10. foot — a measure
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. root — of a word
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — the cause
  21. band — a ring
  22. cold — not warm
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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