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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — tied together
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. deal — to handle
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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