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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: bear · wound · mine · lie · band · cue · pitcher · toast

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. toast — bread
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cue — for pool

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