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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bank — for money
  5. spring — the season
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. spring — of water
  9. scale — size or range
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — in music

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