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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: tear · club · last · ball · lie · bank · wind · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — final
  9. lie — to recline
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tear — to rip
  16. club — a group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — to go on
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ball — a great time

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