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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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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: mark · band · arm · spell · tube · lie · current · bass

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — of water
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. spell — letters
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — happening now
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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