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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. net — in sport
  3. spring — of water
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spring — a coil
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — after costs
  9. spring — the season
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. net — for catching
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — a container
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bank — for money
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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