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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. 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. foot — a measure
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rash — hasty
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — clothes
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — of ice
  24. 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