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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tear — from crying
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — a hole
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tear — from crying
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wound — an injury
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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