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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · spell · rock · bound · pop · wind · mug · game

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. pop — to visit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — tied together
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — certain
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. bank — for money
  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