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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — of a river
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — music
  10. bank — for money
  11. bound — tied together
  12. band — a ring
  13. pop — soda
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. bound — obliged
  17. band — a music group
  18. row — to paddle
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. land — a country
  21. kick — in football
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bound — certain

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