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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bank — for money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. content — the amount
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — a trail
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — for money
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. swing — music
  22. content — happy
  23. bank — of a river
  24. ruler — a monarch

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