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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
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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 · mark · hand · lie · pass · march · bank · bay

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. bank — for money
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. march — the month
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hand — help
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — in cards
  15. march — music
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — for digging
  23. hand — part of the body
  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