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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. spell — letters
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spell — magic
  9. track — to keep track
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stem — to come from
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — of a plant
  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