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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bank — for money
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — of a river
  13. current — electric
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bank — for money

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