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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: rash · leaves · lie · present · rock · mine · last · band

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — a series
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. band — a music group
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mine — for digging
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. band — a ring
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — there
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — music
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — belonging to me

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