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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bank — of a river
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. row — a line
  10. rule — government
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a music group
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — a law
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. band — a ring

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