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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: wax · stand · bank · lie · degree · pitcher · clip · jam

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. clip — a video
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. clip — to cut
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — for money

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