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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — to rob
  6. row — a line
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mug — a cup
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mug — a face

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