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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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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: mine · bank · pass · saw · net · bat · lie · date

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. net — after costs
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — the animal
  11. net — for catching
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. net — in sport
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bank — for money
  24. saw — the tool

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