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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — thin
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. drill — army training
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bank — of a river
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. roll — a list
  22. drill — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. object — an aim

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