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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: fine · bulb · lie · bat · track · rush · bank · snap

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bank — of a river
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. track — a path
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a song

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