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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — in football
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spring — a coil
  10. staff — employees
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — goods
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bank — for money
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spring — of water

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