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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: band · march · bear · suit · staff · present · lie · kick

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. present — there
  3. kick — in football
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. march — the month
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. present — a gift
  11. suit — clothes
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a music group
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bear — the animal

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