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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — from a university
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — the fruit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. rash — hasty
  18. degree — temperature
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bank — of a river

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