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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. net — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — thin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — a group
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lean — to bend
  16. net — for catching
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — for golf
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rash — hasty
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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