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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bank — for money
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. craft — boats
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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