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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · spell · band · cue · last · deal · lie · safe

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. last — finally
  4. cue — a signal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — letters
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. last — to go on
  12. band — a music group
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spell — magic
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cue — a hint
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — final
  24. band — a ring

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