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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 · band · craft · bass · date · can · spell · mine

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse 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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — a short time
  7. craft — boats
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spell — letters
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. band — a ring
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bass — low music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. spell — magic
  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