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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — the time now
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — there
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — a country
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. land — ground
  24. bank — of a river

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