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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: bank · rash · wake · track · capital · bear · lie · saw

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bank — of a river
  5. track — a path
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bear — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rash — hasty
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — a song

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