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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 116 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 · kid · bay · lie · hand · ball · wake · rock

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — child
  5. hand — help
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ball — a dance
  10. band — a music group
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. ball — a great time
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a ring
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rock — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hand — in cards

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