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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: foot · bank · lie · wound · rock · spring · rash · firm

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. firm — a company
  9. rash — a series
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — of water
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rock — music
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — a measure
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bank — for money
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — the season
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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