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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bank — for money
  14. bound — certain
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pass — a permit
  18. tube — a container
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. scale — in 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