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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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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: deal · rest · straw · drill · fan · bound · lie · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bound — tied together
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — army training
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — to handle
  18. band — a ring
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — what's left

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