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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. kid — child
  6. pit — a hole
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — a committee
  12. tear — to rip
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tear — from crying
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kid — to tease

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