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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. roll — a list
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mine — for digging
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cue — a hint
  19. roll — a cake
  20. scale — in music
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. staff — employees

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