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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: snap · land · wave · key · lie · bank · dip · firm

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. land — ground
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bank — of a river
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — the most important part
  11. firm — decided
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. land — a country
  15. key — for a lock
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bank — for money
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — an untruth

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