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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. club — a group
  6. land — to come down
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. lie — to recline
  10. club — for golf
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — a country
  18. pop — music
  19. land — ground
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lie — an untruth

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