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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · bank · squash · season · current · foot · mine · wind

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — a measure
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bank — of a river
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — in sport
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — of the year
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bank — for money
  24. wind — to turn a key

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