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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 124 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. row — a line
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — to paddle
  10. stock — goods
  11. mug — to rob
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — to recline
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stock — shares
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. mug — a face
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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