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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.

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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: kid · temple · lie · mark · track · band · fork · straw

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kid — child
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. band — a ring
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. track — a path
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. band — a music group
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lie — to recline
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. track — a song

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