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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bound — certain
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pit — a hole
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bank — of a river

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