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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bank — of a river
  5. present — there
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cell — a phone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rule — government
  11. present — the time now
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. spring — of water
  16. present — a gift
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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