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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. drill — a practice
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. spell — letters
  14. bank — of a river
  15. spell — magic
  16. drill — the tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. drill — army training
  21. object — to protest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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