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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mate — a partner
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mate — a friend
  7. row — a line
  8. rock — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. row — to paddle
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — a stone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — of a river
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — in cards
  24. mate — to breed

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