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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bank — for money
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a music group
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a ring

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