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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. current — electric
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — a break
  15. bore — to drill
  16. row — a line
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — moving air
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to tire

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