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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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bound — certain
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — in cards
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. firm — a company
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — tied together
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lean — thin

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