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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bank — for money
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lie — to recline
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bank — for money
  10. roll — a list
  11. deal — to handle
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. band — a ring

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