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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 116 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
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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: mate · field · staff · tube · prune · bank · swing · lie

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. swing — in golf
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. swing — to play on
  7. field — farmland
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — a container
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. staff — a stick
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. field — a subject
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tube — in a tire

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