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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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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: stem · file · bank · snap · hide · lie · pound · craft

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. snap — to click
  8. pound — a weight
  9. craft — boats
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. file — a tool
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a document
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stem — of a plant

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