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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 · wave · mine · key · bank · straw · bound · lie

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — a tin
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bank — for money
  18. bound — tied together
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. lie — to recline

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