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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — after costs
  18. bank — for money
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — a container
  23. mug — a face
  24. pop — music

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