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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: bark · lie · clip · bank · swing · pitcher · fan · bound

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — certain
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bank — of a river
  10. clip — a video
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. clip — for paper
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bark — to shout

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