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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a hole
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — soda
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bound — obliged

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