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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. snap — to click
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. row — a line
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — animal skin

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