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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. field — a subject
  6. craft — a skill
  7. rash — a series
  8. field — farmland
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. craft — boats
  14. rule — government
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rule — a law
  24. field — for sport

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