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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — hasty
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — in music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. march — the month
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. scale — size or range

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