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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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Word bank
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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: lie · game · safe · foot · pop · lean · degree · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. degree — from a university
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lie — to recline
  6. degree — an amount
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — temperature
  13. band — a music group
  14. pop — soda
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — to bend
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pop — to visit

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