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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — for money
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — to get on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fall — the season
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lean — thin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wake — a trail

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