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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: bowl · lean · bank · lie · fine · file · shower · can

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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. fine — all right
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — to be able to
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. can — a tin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. file — a document
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — thin

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