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

Word bank: fine · face · saw · stick · wind · wound · wake · bank

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — high quality
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bank — for money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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