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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bank — for money
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — of water
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. coach — a trainer

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