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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: bank · lie · wind · spell · toast · squash · calf · face

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. spell — magic
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. toast — bread
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — of the leg

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