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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: lie · pitch · bank · current · staff · wake · roll · sharp

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. bank — of a river
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — a trail
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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