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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — for money
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. band — a ring
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cold — not warm
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. band — a music group
  22. season — in sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cell — a phone

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