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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · bank · wake · mouse · wound · fan · mate · hide

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — for money
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lie — to recline
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mouse — the animal

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