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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: wave · bound · bank · row · tube · sharp · ground · kid

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ground — a position
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — a container
  13. bound — certain
  14. bank — for money
  15. kid — child
  16. bank — for money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ground — the earth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — with an edge

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