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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. row — a line
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bank — for money
  6. shower — rain
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. charge — electricity
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — of a river
  16. charge — in control
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pass — a permit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — a price
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. band — a ring

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