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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · lie · bank · spell · dip · scale · band · toast

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — in music
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. band — a ring
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. band — a music group
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lie — to recline
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bank — for money
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — magic

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