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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bank — for money
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — certain
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — to breed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mate — a friend

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