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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spring — a coil
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. drill — army training
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — a cake
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — the season
  20. roll — a list
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — to put up with

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