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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. file — a document
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a dance
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tear — from crying
  21. file — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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