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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — of water
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — a match
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. swing — music
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bank — of a river
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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