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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — of water
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lean — to bend
  9. band — a music group
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. snap — to click
  15. lean — thin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — the season
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — to recline
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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