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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bank — for money
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. rush — to hurry

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