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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — a trail
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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