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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — rain
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. court — for sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. band — a ring
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. band — a music group
  19. court — of law
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — to recline
  23. court — of a king
  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