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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — of a river
  11. capital — money
  12. wax — to grow
  13. band — a music group
  14. capital — a city
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. band — a ring
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. straw — a straw man

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