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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — rain
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cell — a phone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bank — of a river
  24. fork — to eat with

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