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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: craft · bound · spring · firm · last · lie · clip · bank

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spring — of water
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — a coil
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bank — for money
  16. firm — a company
  17. last — finally
  18. craft — boats
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bank — of a river
  21. firm — decided
  22. bound — tied together
  23. clip — for paper
  24. spring — the season

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