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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. net — in sport
  24. tube — a container

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