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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — low music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. kick — in football
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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