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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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — the sport
  7. tear — from crying
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — a break
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lean — to bend
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lean — thin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — a tool

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