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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mate — a friend
  11. band — a music group
  12. lean — thin
  13. band — a ring
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. band — a rubber band

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