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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 · dip · wind · shower · spring · lash · lie · scale

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — a coil
  7. shower — rain
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — of water
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bank — of a river
  17. spring — the season
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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