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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · ball · mug · bass · lie · present · cell · bank

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cell — a phone
  3. last — finally
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a dance
  9. present — a gift
  10. last — to go on
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bank — for money
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bank — for money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ball — a round shape

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