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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. mate — a friend
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mate — to breed

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