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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: bat · cell · bank · mate · lie · ball · mouse · suit

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — of a river
  24. suit — clothes

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