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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. rock — music
  12. spring — a coil
  13. swing — to play on
  14. rock — a stone
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bank — of a river
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — a trail

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