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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spell — magic
  10. root — the cause
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. content — happy
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — of a word
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — certain
  24. band — a music group

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