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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — certain
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bound — tied together
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. key — in music
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — obliged

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