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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. roll — a list
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — for money
  15. bound — certain
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. roll — a cake
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. shower — rain
  24. 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