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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 120 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: staff · mine · bank · wound · ruler · rest · lie · ball

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rest — a break
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bank — of a river
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — an injury

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