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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: bank · firm · row · rock · lie · toast · pop · clip

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. row — a line
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bank — for money
  7. firm — decided
  8. bank — of a river
  9. firm — a company
  10. pop — soda
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bank — for money
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. toast — bread
  20. firm — steady
  21. rock — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. row — to paddle

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