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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bank — for money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fine — all right
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. ground — a position
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. rest — a break
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fall — to drop
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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