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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: spell · fine · band · fan · chest · bound · lie · bank

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — letters
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bank — for money
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bank — of a river

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