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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bank — for money
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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