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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — of a river
  5. row — to paddle
  6. root — of a word
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bound — obliged
  16. row — a line
  17. cell — in biology
  18. sharp — clever
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bound — certain
  22. bank — for money
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bound — tied together

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