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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · prune · spell · can · lie · band · bass · net

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. net — after costs
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the fish
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — for catching
  24. band — a music group

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