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

Word bank: rest · wind · pit · bank · row · rush · present · track

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — hurry
  4. track — to keep track
  5. present — the time now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — a gift
  8. rest — a break
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — there
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pit — in a race
  16. track — a song
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. track — a path
  23. row — a line
  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