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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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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bank — for money

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