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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. root — of a word
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bank — for money
  9. track — a song
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. game — a match
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — the cause
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. track — a path

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