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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — a line
  4. lie — to recline
  5. charge — electricity
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — in a race
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spring — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. spring — the season
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — in control
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — an untruth

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