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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: land · rash · mug · lie · present · bank · hand · mate

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mug — a face
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — to breed
  8. land — ground
  9. mate — a friend
  10. land — a country
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — help
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rash — hasty
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — a gift
  24. hand — part of the body

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