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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: fan · saw · bank · lie · rock · stick · season · drill

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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