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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: last · bank · lie · jam · pitcher · bat · safe · band

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. band — a music group
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lie — to recline
  16. last — finally
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. band — a ring
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. last — final

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