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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — a series
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — for money
  24. mate — a partner

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