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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 120 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: stand · field · object · lie · bank · snap · bay · sharp

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bank — for money
  4. object — to protest
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. object — a thing
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. field — a subject
  22. snap — to click
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — on your feet

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