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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mate — a friend
  5. shower — to wash
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bank — for money
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mark — a grade
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — thin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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