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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
468
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: jam · plane · lie · bank · wound · snap · pitcher · bark

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lie — to recline
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. jam — in traffic

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