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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — a tin
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rock — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. hand — help
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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