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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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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: row · ruler · mug · wound · object · wave · bank · mouse

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bank — for money
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — a thing
  16. bank — for money
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — a cup
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. bank — of a river
  24. object — to protest

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