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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — a coil
  5. band — a ring
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. mug — a face
  10. spring — the season
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — a cup
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — of water
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rest — a break
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mug — to rob
  24. tear — from crying

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