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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a friend
  7. staff — employees
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lie — to recline
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — moving air

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