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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: pitcher · lie · bank · perch · craft · band · net · wound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — of a river
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. band — a music group
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — for money

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