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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: bank · pit · season · pass · lie · mug · hand · wind

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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