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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bank — of a river
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. row — to paddle
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bass — low music
  10. roll — a list
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. roll — a cake
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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