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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. last — to go on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — finally
  10. snap — to click
  11. last — final
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. fine — high quality
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — of a king
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — of a river
  24. track — a path

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