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

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — a city
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chest — of your body
  10. snap — to click
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — money
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — a box

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