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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bound — obliged
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. roll — a list
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. lie — to recline
  11. spring — the season
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — certain
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — low music
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bound — tied together
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — in a race
  24. roll — a cake

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