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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: fan · snap · mark · lie · bank · squash · bark · bay

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. snap — to click
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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