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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · pitcher · bank · wake · rock · mug · lie · race

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — of a river
  9. race — humankind
  10. mug — a face
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wake — a trail
  15. race — a contest
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — to rob

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