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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — of water
  9. lie — to recline
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — of a river
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. hand — in cards
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spring — the season
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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