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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hand — help
  3. craft — boats
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a city
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — money
  13. mug — a face
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mug — a cup
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — the animal

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