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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bound — certain
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. staff — a stick

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