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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 120 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: bowl · pitcher · lie · rule · craft · hand · bank · fall

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — boats
  3. rule — government
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — the season
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — help
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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