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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: mine · content · rash · lie · hand · mug · bass · bank

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hand — help
  4. content — the amount
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bass — low music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mug — a face
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hand — in cards
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — for money
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hand — part of the body

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