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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. wake — a trail
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — certain
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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