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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. snap — to click
  3. wind — moving air
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bank — for money
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a song
  10. can — to be able to
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. can — a tin
  13. track — a path
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — of a river
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wind — moving air

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