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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — of a river
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — a thing
  7. wake — a trail
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bank — for money
  11. dip — to sink
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — in music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — thin
  24. object — an aim

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