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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. bound — certain
  2. net — after costs
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. firm — a company
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. shower — rain
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spring — the season
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — of a river
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spring — of water
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — in music
  23. shower — to wash
  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