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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · bank · bat · land · lie · trunk · bowl · last

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. last — to go on
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. land — a country
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. bat — the animal
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — a permit

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