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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — after costs
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — to wash

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