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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: charge · stick · band · spring · mug · deal · roll · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. band — a music group
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mug — a face
  5. charge — a price
  6. spring — of water
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — in control
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spring — a coil
  16. band — a ring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spring — the season

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