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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lean — thin
  4. snap — to click
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. bank — of a river
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. safe — out of danger

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