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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spring — of water
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hand — help
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spring — a coil
  15. row — a line
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bank — for money
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wake — a trail

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