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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: roll · straw · cabinet · lie · swing · mark · ground · bank

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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. mark — to pay attention
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — a trace
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — a position
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — to recline
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bank — of a river
  20. swing — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. swing — to play on

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