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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · pitcher · wind · ruler · rush · deal · leaves · chair

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wind — moving air
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wind — to turn a key

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