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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: bay · mark · band · mine · fan · kid · court · lie

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kid — child
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. court — for sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mark — a grade
  11. band — a ring
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — for digging
  20. band — a music group
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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