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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — boats
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. shower — to wash
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — government
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fork — in a road
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bank — for money
  21. pound — a weight
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. shower — rain
  24. rule — a law

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