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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — a company
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rash — hasty
  10. firm — steady
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. firm — decided
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rash — a series

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