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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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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 · bulb · march · toast · bank · hide

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — the month
  9. bank — of a river
  10. toast — bread
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — for money
  18. toast — the most admired

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