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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: lash · club · firm · present · bank · lie · hand · saw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — for golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. present — a gift
  8. hand — help
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bank — for money
  12. firm — steady
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — to recline
  22. present — there
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lie — an untruth

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