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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: kid · bass · saw · bank · swing · ground · lie · mark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mark — a grade
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kid — child
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — a position
  19. swing — music
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bank — for money
  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