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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a match
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — of water
  14. scale — in music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mate — a friend
  17. current — happening now
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. hand — help
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — to cool the air

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