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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: bass · wound · bank · foot · content · lie · hand · game

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — the fish
  4. content — happy
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — the amount
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hand — in cards
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a match
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — help

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