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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: foot · lie · band · cabinet · dip · wound · mate · saw

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. dip — to sink
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wound — an injury

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