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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mate — to breed
  10. staff — employees
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cell — a phone
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mate — a partner
  18. staff — employees
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in biology

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