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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. rest — a break
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mark — a grade

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