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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — of a word
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. root — the cause
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rush — a thrill

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