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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: mine · bank · row · pitch · lean · wake · craft · bound

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pitch — completely
  3. row — a line
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to bend
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bound — obliged
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — certain
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wake — a trail

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