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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — for dancing
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spell — letters
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bank — for money
  12. club — a group
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for golf

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