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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — an aim
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. object — to protest
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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