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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — of a river
  4. fine — all right
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pop — to visit
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — soda
  18. fine — a penalty

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