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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bank — for money
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bank — for money

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