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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. drill — army training
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bank — for money
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. game — a match
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — to recline
  14. object — an aim
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. object — a thing
  18. season — in sport
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bank — of a river

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