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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: lie · key · date · row · hide · field · band · file

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. field — a subject
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. date — the fruit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. band — a ring
  13. field — for sport
  14. row — a line
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. field — farmland

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