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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — to paddle
  5. current — electric
  6. tear — to rip
  7. current — of water
  8. row — a line
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — happening now
  11. mate — to breed
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bank — for money
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a friend
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a grade
  24. row — a quarrel

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