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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a music group
  9. lie — to recline
  10. present — there
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bank — of a river
  15. band — a ring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. ground — the earth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. ground — a position
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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