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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — to eat
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — for betting
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. march — the month
  18. court — of a king
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — for sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

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