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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: sharp · ruler · season · game · bank · wake · fall · row

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wake — a trail
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. season — of the year
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bank — for money
  21. season — in sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — a match
  24. fall — the season

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