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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.

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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 · club · can · kid · bear · spell · cap

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a ring
  11. cap — a hat
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for golf
  17. spell — letters
  18. club — a group
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. kid — child

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