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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: band · tear · suit · pound · firm · season · lie · mine

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — of the year
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pound — a weight
  18. band — a music group
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — for digging
  23. suit — clothes
  24. firm — a company

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