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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a music group
  6. ground — a position
  7. bank — for money
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — a series
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bank — for money

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