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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.

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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 · ruler · cue · wind · last · safe · rock · row

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. last — to go on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — a stone
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — final
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a line
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bank — for money
  22. cue — a signal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cue — for pool

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