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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — to sink
  8. last — finally
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. last — to go on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. last — final
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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