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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hand — help
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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