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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — after costs
  5. cue — a signal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — help
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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