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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — certain
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — decided
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. roll — a list
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bank — of a river
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rock — music

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