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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — to recline
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rock — a stone
  24. mate — a friend

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