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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lie — to recline
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — of a river
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — the season
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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