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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: wave · bank · tube · fork · present · firm · fan · lie

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — to recline
  5. firm — decided
  6. present — there
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bank — for money
  15. firm — steady
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. firm — a company
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — a container

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