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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lie — to recline
  9. scale — size or range
  10. net — in sport
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — in music
  18. bank — of a river
  19. net — after costs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — for money
  23. net — for catching
  24. season — to add flavour

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