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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bank — for money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bank — of a river

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