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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.

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: can · lie · wind · plane · wound · drill · bank · clip

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lie — to recline
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wound — an injury
  6. can — to be able to
  7. clip — to cut
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — army training
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — a video
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lie — an untruth

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