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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. land — a country
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spell — letters
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — to come down
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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