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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: track · lie · band · bay · stick · staff · content · mate

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a partner
  3. band — a ring
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — a path
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — happy
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. band — a music group
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — to breed
  20. track — a song
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. content — the amount

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