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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. present — the time now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cold — an illness
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. coach — a trainer

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