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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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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: band · rush · fan · scale · lie · last · bore · foot

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. last — final
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lie — to recline
  7. scale — in music
  8. last — to go on
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bore — to tire
  11. band — a ring
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. last — finally
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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