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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bank — of a river
  8. saw — the tool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — help
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — a trace
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mark — to pay attention

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