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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wind — moving air
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. clip — a video
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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