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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bank — for money
  6. pit — a hole
  7. band — a music group
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. last — to go on
  10. spring — the season
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a ring
  13. spring — a coil
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. spring — of water

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