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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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