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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bank — for money
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wake — before a funeral

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