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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bank — for money
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pound — to hit hard

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