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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: row · pitcher · bank · hand · fan · bear · rash · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. hand — help
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. row — a line
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bear — the animal

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