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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bank — of a river
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. key — the most important part
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — for money
  21. key — in music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. saw — the tool

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