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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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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: bowl · pound · squash · straw · lie · rest · bank · hand

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rest — a break
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football 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