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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bank — for money
  5. lean — to bend
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lean — thin
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spell — magic
  10. bank — of a river
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spell — letters
  18. pitcher — a jug

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