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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 116 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 · last · wake · pitch · bound · swing · bank · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bound — certain
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. swing — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bank — for money
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — final
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — completely
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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