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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · content · rule · mate · swing · foot · bank · lie

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. swing — in golf
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. mine — for digging
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rule — government
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bank — for money

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