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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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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: present · bay · wound · wake · sharp · bank · branch · straw

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. wound — an injury
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bank — of a river
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. present — a gift
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — the time now

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