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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — for sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — a subject
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bank — for money
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — farmland
  18. bear — the animal

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