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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. march — music
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — in biology
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a list
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bank — for money

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