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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. last — to go on
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bank — for money
  12. last — finally
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. last — final

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