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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rest — a break
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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