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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
468
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: club · suit · chair · bear · sharp · lie · tube · band

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. band — a music group
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bear — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a ring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. club — for golf
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chair — a leader
  23. club — for dancing
  24. suit — clothes

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