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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 124 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bear — the animal
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spring — the season
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bass — low music
  13. spring — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spring — a coil

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