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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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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 · saw · wind · temple · wake · mate · row · rule

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wake — a trail
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. row — a line
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bank — for money
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. mate — a friend
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rule — a law
  24. temple — a place of worship

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